Red Jacket students gain hands-on career experience through Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES programs

Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES, exploring fields that include mechanical and electrical engineering, nursing, cosmetology, veterinary services, auto body and automotive technology.

Ian Bachman is one of the students participating in the BOCES Auto Technology program, which blends classroom instruction with hands-on shop experience to prepare students for careers in the automotive industry.

Students begin by learning about automotive systems, how they work and how they have evolved, before applying that knowledge in the shop. Students spend at least half of each day working on vehicles, including customer cars. “We always focus on safety and what an employer would expect from us in the workforce,” Bachman said.

Before starting the program, Bachman purchased a 40-year-old truck that required extensive repairs.

“Basically nothing worked,” he said. “Now I get to learn the information and then go into the shop and actually apply it, or go home and apply it on my own vehicles.”

Bachman hopes to work for a dealership or a mechanic shop after graduation. He is currently employed by the Town of Manchester, where he has gained additional experience working alongside a diesel mechanic.

Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES programs provide Red Jacket students with hands-on learning opportunities that connect classroom instruction to real-world career pathways.